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with conservation non-profits make Taos a standout and for the ski area, act as a resource to the community, and fos-
deserving recipient of the Golden Eagle Award. For more ter environmental education. The AEC has received much
information about Taos’ environmental initiatives, visit deserved recognition for its many contributions to sustainability.
www.skitaos.com. Wieringa has shared his sustainability experience widely in his
leadership roles across the industry, including years of service on
SQUAW VALLEY | ALPINE MEADOWS in California won the the NSAA Environmental Committee and Ski Utah. Through
Golden Eagle Award in the large resort category for its the Mountain Collective, he encouraged peer resorts to find
multifaceted approach to sustainability and leveraging its common ground in sustainability and helped boost participa-
influence in support of climate change solutions. Squaw tion in the Climate Challenge. Wieringa has always approached
has reduced its own carbon footprint as an early adopter of sustainability from a common sense perspective of hard work
sustainable technologies and a participant in the Climate and doing right by people and the places we love. For that, he
Challenge. The resort supports a broad array of regional is a Hero of Sustainability. He is retiring this year after 44 years
transit and parking initiatives, including free POW Parking of service to Alta Ski Area. He has left a lasting and positive leg-
for HOVs, free electric car charging, free skier shuttle ser- acy of valuing environmental stewardship that will serve the ski
vices between lodging and the mountain, and between area, its employees and community, Utah, and the ski indus-
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, eliminating roughly try for decades to come. For more information on Alta Ski Area
85 tons of CO in emissions annually. Squaw also part- and its Environmental Center, visit www.alta.coma and www.
2
ners with POW through hosting the Rider’s Alliance & alta.com/alta-environmental-center.
Athlete Summits, the branding of its funitel cabin with Judges for this year’s awards were Andy Hawk and
POW to educate guests on the “POW Seven” Pledge, and Greg Ditrinco, SKI Magazine; Tiffany Beal, International
even a POW branded phone booth in the Village during Mountain Biking Association (IMBA); Judy Dorsey, Brendle
the World Cup, featuring facts on climate, scripts, and state Group; Don Dressler, US Forest Service; Kevin Kassekert,
representatives’ contact information to encourage guests Tesla Motors, Inc.; Chris Steinkamp, POW; and Matthew
to engage in advocacy. In collaboration with FIS, Squaw Banks, World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
accomplished a Carbon Neutral 2017 World Cup by off-
setting the event’s carbon footprint (including all moun-
tain operations—snowmaking, lifts, grooming—and travel
emissions of athletes, coaches, and World Cup staff to THE GUEST EXPERIENCE.
and during the event, their accommodations, and meals) ELEVATED.
through purchase of certified carbon credits and an on-site
solar installation. This effort will serve as a model for 2016/17 Vermont Public Places Honor Award Winner | Spruce Peak Village Center
future carbon neutral FIS events. Squaw has used its influ-
ence to effect change beyond the resort as well, by joining
a Regional Clean Power Coalition to encourage power pro-
vider Liberty Utilities to replace coal with renewable energy
sources, and joining Switch, Tesla, Patagonia, and others
in support of a successful Nevada ballot measure, Question
3, to require lawmakers to create an open, competitive,
well-regulated energy market. For more information on the
Squaw | Alpine Meadows, visit www.squawalpine.com.

ONNO WIERINGA is a Hero of Sustainability for his environ-
mental leadership at the helm of Alta Ski Area. He has been
a leading voice for Alta’s triple bottom line performance since
before the phrase was popular. Wieringa published one of the
industry’s first environmental reports and commissioned one photo credit: Landwehrle
of the first ski area greenhouse gas inventories in the coun-
try, years before NSAA launched the Climate Challenge, long
before we had POW or Paris. In 2008, he founded the Alta
Strategy. Planning. Permitting. Design.
Environmental Center (AEC) to pursue sustainability internally

SUMMER 2017 | NSAA JOURNAL | 67